Bullying

A new report finds Idaho students face more cyberbullying than kids in any other state. While the Gem State tops the list, other rural states also rank highly.

The Idaho Department of Education says one in five high school students has been cyberbullied. That backs up new findings from education company Educents which says a little over 21 percent of 9-12 graders have been the victims of cyberbullying. The report says 26 percent of high schoolers have reported on-campus bullying.

Idaho State University has investigated allegations of bullying in its softball program and says the concern was based on misinterpreted comments.

The Idaho State Journal reports that ISU Director of Athletics Jeff Tingey says he received complaints from two players who said a small group of their teammates had been bullying them. Tingey says the teammates were stepping up as "vocal leaders" but it came off as bullying. He says the school has addressed the issue with the students.

The Idaho House passed an anti-bullying measure Monday after some impassioned pleas from several lawmakers who talked about the experiences of their own children.

This is the latest of several attempts in recent years to pass bills aimed at strengthening Idaho’s anti-bullying laws. Some conservative lawmakers have been skeptical the issue can be regulated at the state level and worry they might be opening schools up to lawsuits.

In Washington D.C. Tuesday a national summit on preventing bullying in schools rapped up. It’s the third year the U.S. Department of Education has hosted the summit on what is a growing concern among educators and parents. In Boise Tuesday Idaho teachers came together to learn ways to prevent bullying.